The New Coke disaster is a good example of why a brand’s heritage should not be ignored. “The real thing” was dealt a harsh blow when New Coke replaced the original beloved “regular” Coke. Consequently consumers who had built a relationship with Coca-Cola based on its values felt slighted, and showed it in their drinking behaviors.

If Nike were to develop a less aggressive stance in its promotion or Harley Davidson were to adopt a “wimpy” spokes-icon, consumers would likely feel that their relationship with the brand had been violated. Alienating loyal, long-term fans is bound to be to the brands’ disadvantage.

Why does the public take it so personally? Good brand management results in consumers who have an emotional relationship with the brand. They identify with brand personalities and relate to the values that the brand possesses. When a brand changes the basis of the relationship or does something that is out of sync with its personality, it takes a risk to create dissonance among consumers who relate to the brand.

A brand with a well-documented heritage may be able to indicate trends or forecast results better than consumer research. An understanding of its brand heritage would indicate that Coca-Cola should never discard its main product in place of a new offering as it did with New Coke.

While brand heritage is not a substitute for consumer research and may not be able to predict consumer response to a new product or a proposed line- extension, it can give perspective to consumer response in the past. This will help the brand custodian understand the nature of the challenge that the new product introduction or line extension poses.

How can you better read your brand’s heritage? It’s important for brand custodians to record details of the heritage and document changes and results for successors. Brands with a rich heritage tend to have high levels of morale. True and exaggerated tales of the brand’s exploits are told with admiration and pride. Retailers and customers who have displayed extraordinary loyalty to the brand are remembered with fondness and tales of how the brand displayed extraordinary performance are recounted with awe and nostalgia. These stories should be documented and known by the brand managers.

The most important advantage that a well-documented heritage provides is possibly its most underrated quality. It gives brand custodians a sense of history and with it an increased sense of responsibility. A brand’s heritage could reveal some of the brand’s intrinsic strengths and this knowledge could be reassuring as a booster during lean times or when the brand is under attack.

Not every brand has been around for a long time and many brands that have are not documented. Documenting the brand’s history helps give successors invaluable cues about how to act in the future. Indeed there are several brand managers who are not conscious of the need to pass on a valuable heritage to their successors. Senior management needs to develop systems that ensure that this is done for the longevity of the brand.

Brand custodians must realize that they inherit legacies created or enhanced by their predecessors and they, in turn, have a role to link the brand’s future with its history. Successes and failures must be recounted with equal candor for educating future decisions and as a possible source for ideas -- successes can be found in earlier aborted plans. Either way, the future of your brand almost certainly depends on the past.